Planetarium and Digital Dome

Iziko’s enriching and enabling education programmes include Planetarium edu-tainment for diverse school groups and audiences.

The programmes endeavour to develop the full potential of learners. They include lessons, workshops, teacher enrichment programmes and educational projects aimed at adding value to classroom practice, as well as special needs activities and educational resources.

See below for a series of Planetarium and Digital Dome events and resources!

Sky Map

The centre of the map is the overhead point, the edge is the horizon. To use the map, hold it up in front of you and rotate it to match the direction you are looking (e.g. hold it upside down when you are looking south). Do not lay it flat on a table or the points of the compass will be the wrong way round.

November 2025:

In November, Southern Africa’s night skies undergo a seasonal transformation. Orion rises prominently in the east, showcasing its Belt, Sword, and Shield, though its Club remains faint. Sirius, the brightest star in Canis Major and known in Xhosa as iQhawe (“champion”), appears later in the month. This is a prime time for spotting galaxies with the naked eye: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds glow in the southern sky near the constellation Mensa, while the distant Andromeda Galaxy may be glimpsed under dark conditions.

As Scorpius sets in the west, it takes the red star Antares with it, and the Teapot of Sagittarius also dips below the horizon. Crux (Southern Cross) remains low in the south, traceable with help from Alpha and Beta Centauri. Overhead, the Great Square of Pegasus dominates before drifting westward. Fomalhaut, the “Sweetheart Star” or Ndemara in Shona, shines in the southeast beneath Saturn.

Saturn is visible among Cetus, Pisces, and Aquarius, while Mars stays elusive near the western horizon. November’s Full Moon on the 5th is a supermoon, the largest of the year, and the New Moon falls on the 20th. The Leonid meteor shower peaks on 17–18 November, radiating from Leo in the northeast during early morning hours.

Download the November Sky Map HERE.